Latch actuating handle assembly



June 29, 1965 E. G. TRUDEAU 3,191,979

LATCH ACTUATING HANDLE ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 25, 1963 INVENTOR.

A T TORNE Y June 29, 1965 E. G. TRUDEAU LATCH ACTUATING HANDLE ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25, 1963 vu L United States Patent O 3,191,979 LATCH ACTUATING HANDLE ASSEMBLY Edgar G. Trudeau, Taylor, Mich., assigner' to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed'Apr. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 275,542 4 Claims. (Ci. 292-3363) This invention relates to latch actuating means and more particularly to a vehicle body latch actuating handle assembly.

A common type of actuating means or handle assembly for a vehicle body door latch includes a slidable push button and a push rod rigidly connected to the push button and engageable with a releasing member of the door latch upon inward movement of the push button. An inherent disadvantage of this type of handle assembly is that in the event of an impact on the vehicle which causes the handle to move inwardly of the body, the push button and push rod are carried with the handle to effect an unwanted release of the door latch and permit the door to open. The latch actuating means of this invention is intended to overcome this disadvantage and prevent inadvertent release ofthe door latch.

In accordance with the invention, an outside latch actuating handle assembly is provided with a handle body, a push button, a push rod movable independently of the push button, and cooperating coupling means on the push button and push rod effective upon inward movement of the push button to couple the push rod to the push button to eiect release of the door latch. The coupling means are ineffective to couple the push rod to the push button upon movement of the handle body toward the door latch, as in a crushing of the vehicle door during a collision, thus to prevent inadvertent release of the door latch.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved latch actuating handle assembly. Another object of this invention is to provide an improved latch actuating handle assembly including a push button and a push rod mounted on a door handle for movement independent of each other, and means for coupling the push button and push rod for movement as a unit only upon normal movement of the push button in a latch actuating direction.

These and other objects of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partially broken away view of a latch actuating handle assembly according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken gen-V erally along the plane indicated by line 2--2 of FIGURE 1 and showing the push button and push rod in uncoupled position;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective View of a portion of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the push button and push rod in coupled position; and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the push button and push rod in telescoped uncoupled position as a result of inward displacement of the handle body.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a vehicle body door latch actuating means or outside door handle assembly 10 according to this invention is mounted on a vehicle body outer panel 12 yand actuates the outside operating or release member 14 of a suitable vehicle body door latch, the details of which form no part of this invention. Reference may be had to Bergin 2,982,576, for a description of a suitable door latch.

lglw Patented .lune 29, 1965 ICC Handle assembly 1G includes a handle body 16 bolted at 18 to panel 12 and including a hollow mounting portion 20 which extends through panel 12 and mounts an operating or push button assembly 22. Assembly 22 includes a hollow push button member 24 iixed to the shank 26 of a mounting stud 28, the bored head 30 of which is secured within one end of a cylindrical operat-k ing member 32. The other end of member 32 is slidably supported Within the anged opening 34 of a plate 36. Plate 36 is located within portion 20 by having upper and lower -arcuate edge portions 38 of the plate seat behind iianges 39 of portion 20, and ribs 40 of the plate t within grooves 41 in flanges 39. A compression spring 42 seating on plate 36 and thepush button member 24 maintains the ribs 40 within grooves 41 and biases the push button member 24 outwardly of portion 20. A rubber O-ring or washer 44 on the push button member seats against the outer wall of portion 2i) to locate the push button member against the action of spring 42.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 4,V a push rod or actuating member 4S includes a longitudinally extending closed slot Si), a coupling notch 52, `and a partially bored outer end 54 slidably received within the inner end of member 32. A compression spring 56 seated within end 54 and within the bored head 3) of stud 28 biases the push rod member 48 outwardly of member 32. The engagement of the outer end of slot 50 With a lanced tab 58 of member 32 locates the push rod member and member 32 with respect to each other. A coupling pawl 60 is received Within slot 50 and includes a notch 62 resting on the edge of a slot 64 of member 32. The pawl extends through a slot 66 of member 32 and includes a coupling head 74 provided with a knife or tapered edge portion 75. A compression spring 68 seating on a return bent tab 70 of member 32 and a lug 72 of the pawl biases the pawl counterclockwise of member 32 into engagement with the flange of opening 34 of plate 36.

When the push button and push rod are uncoupled, as shown in FIGURE 2, the pawl is located in a generally upright position with the head 74 thereof disposed above notch 52 of push rod member 48. When the push button 24 is depressed, member 32 and pawl 60 move inwardly of the handle body so that spring 68 rotates the pawl counterclockwise until the head 74 engages notch 52 of the push rod, as shown in FIGURE S, to couple the push button and push rod for further movement as a unit into engagement with member 14. The pawl is readily rotatable into engagement with the notch 52 since spring S6 causes the push rod member to be carried with member 32 during the incremental inward movement thereof necessary to permit the pawl to be swung into the notch. When the push button is released, spring 42 returns the parts to their uncoupled position of FIGURE 2.

In the event of a collision causing movement of handle assembly 1) inwardly of the body, pawl 60 is ineffective to couple the push rod to the push button since there is no relative movement between member 32 and the handle body. This is shown in FIGURE 6 wherein the handle body, push button member, member 32 and pawl 60 have moved inwardly as a unit relative to the push rod without causing the push rod to engage member 14 and release the door latch.

It will be apparent that coupling of push rod member 43 and push button 24 will also be prevented in the event of a distortion of the vehicle body causing the door latch to move toward handle assembly 10 since the push rod member may move inwardly of member 32 without any accompanying rotation of pawl 60 into engagement with notch 52.

Thus, this invention provides an improved latch actuating handle assembly.

I claim:

1. In a Vehicle body including a door latch, door latch actuating means, comprising, a handle member mounted on said body, an operating member slidably mounted on said handle member, an actuating member slidably received in said operating member and engageable with said door latch to actuate said door latch, and a coupling member arranged on said operating member and said actuating member to be responsive to movement of said operating member relative to said handle member, said coupling means being engageable with said actuating member upon movement of said operating member in a latch actuating direction to couple said operating member and said actuating member for simultaneous movement thereof in said latch actuating direction, said handle memer and said operating member being movable in said latch actuating direction independently of engagement of said coupling member with said actuating member to thereby permit movement of said handle member and said operating member in said direction independently of movement of said actuating member.

2. In a vehicle body including a door latch, door latch actuating means, comprising, a handle member mounted on said body, an operating member movably mounted on said handle member, an actuating member movably mounted on said handle member and engageable with said door latch, and coupling means 4arranged on said operating member and said actuating member to be responsive to movement of said operating member relative to said handle, said coupling means being engageable upon movement of said operating member relative to said handle in a direction to actuate said latch to couple said operating member and said actuating member for simultaneous movement thereof in said direction, said handle member and said operating member being simultaneously movable in said direction independently of engagement of said coupling means to thereby permit movement of said operating member in said direction independently of movement of said actuating member.

3. Door latch actuating means, comprising, a support,

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tion thereof, and means on said support engageable with said coupling means in the inoperative position of said operating member to locate said coupling means in the uncoupling position thereof against the action of said resilient means, movement of said operating member relative to said support moving said coupling means out of engagement with said means on said support to permit said resilient means to move said coupling means to the coupled position thereof, said coupling means remaining in the uncoupling position thereof upon simultaneous movement of said support and said operating member to permit movement of said operating member independently of said actuating member.

4. In a vehicle body including a door latch, door latch actuating means, comprising, a handle member mounted on said body, an operating member slidably mounted on said handle member for movement relative thereto between operative and inoperative positions, an actuating member slidably received in said operating member and adapted to actuate said door latch, a coupling member mounted on said operating member for movement between a coupling position in engagement with said actuan operating member slidably mounted on said supportV ating member and an uncoupled position, resilient means biasing said coupling means to the coupling position thereof, said coupling member being arranged relative to said operating member in the inoperative position thereof to engage said handle member so as to be located in the uncoupling position thereof against the action of said resilient means, movement of said operating member relative to said handle member moving said coupling member out of engagement with said handle member to permit said resilient means to move said coupling member to the coupled position thereof, said coupling member remaining in engagement with said handle member upon simultaneuos movement of said handle member and said operating member so as to remain in the uncoupled position thereof and permit movement of said operating member independently of said actuating member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,845,804 8/58 Lambert 74-110 `3,018,652 1/62 Dubonnet 70-218 M. HENSON, WOOD, JR, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY INCLUDING A DOOR LATCH, DOOR LATCH ACTUATING MEANS, COMPRISING, A HANDLE MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID BODY, AN OPERATING MEMBER SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HANDLE MEMBER, AN ACTUATING MEMBER SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAID OPERATING MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID DOOR LATCH TO ACTUATE SAID DOOR LATCH, AND A COUPLING MEMBER ARRANGED ON SAID OPERATING MEMBER AND SAID ACTUATING MEMBER TO BE RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID OPERATING MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID HANDLE MEMBER, SAID COUPLING MEANS BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ACTUATING MEMBER UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID OPERATING MEMBER IN A LATCH ACTUATING DIRECTION TO COUPLE SAID OPERATING MEMBER AND SAID ACTUATING MEMBER FOR SIMULTANEOUS MOVEMENT THEREOF IN SAID LATCH ACTUATING DIRECTION, SAID HANDLE MEMBER AND SAID OPERATING MEMBER BEING MOVABLE IN SAID LATCH ACTUATING DIRECTION INDEPENDENTLY OF ENGAGEMENT OF SAID COUPLING MEMBER WITH SAID ACTUATING MEMBER TO THEREBY PERMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE MEMBER AND SAID OPERATING MEMBER IN SAID DIRECTION INDEPENDENTLY OF MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATING MEMBER. 